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THANK YOU
FOR VISITING ACCC.org.uk.
Tthis website has been constantly receiving an average of about 10200 visits per month from a total of 107 countries |
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FREE COMMUNITY REGISTRATION
FREE Subscription to HAMAINK -
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If you are not already registered with the ACCC as a member of the Armenian Community of the UK, simply send an email to Registrations@accc.org.uk
giving your name, address and contact phone numbers.
Registration as a member of the Community is FREE
To receive community news and ACCC communications please register now Registrations@accc.org.uk
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HAMAINK
The Newsletter for the U.K. Armenian Community
Published by the ACCC
In Service to the Community
HAMAINK
Winter 2009/10
issue No.17
was posted FREE OF CHARGE to every address registered with the ACCC
To participate in community life and to receive all future
community communications and news and so as to become eligible to take part in elections of the ACCC Council, every Armenian living in the U.K. should register with the ACCC.
Registration is FREE. Please e-mail your Name, Address, Phone No. and E-mail Address to: REGISTRATIONS@ACCC.org.uk
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"DNORHNEK"
Home Blessing for
Every Armenian Family It is customary to have our homes blessed by a priest, especially during the
first 40 days after Sourp Dzenount. It is a beautiful ceremony through which we bring the presence of our Lord into the heart of our own home for protection, happiness and prosperity.
To
request a 'Dnorhnek' please contact the ACCC's Church Wardens at St Yeghiche Church, Cranley Gardens, South Kensington, London SW7 |
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German Documentary
"AGHET" A 90-Minute
documentary in German and firstly shown on German Television and now being screened publicly in Germany has been widely acclaimed as a robust response to all those who
deny the veracity of the Armenian Genocide.
The Documentary is on U-Tube but is in 10 segments. There have been efforts by Turkish authorities to have it
removed from U-Tube, but the following link has been set up showing the 92-Minute Documentary in its entitity:
http://www.armeniang enocide-aghet.com/
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British government 'should recognise' The Armenian Genocide Baroness Cox writes for ePolitix.com ahead of her oral question on the Armenian Genocide:
I am asking Her Majesty's Government whether it will reconsider its position on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide –
sadly, without any hope of a change in the British government's consistent policy of refusal to acknowledge the truth. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE
DONATIONS TO CHURCH
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The running
costs for the regular church services of the Community's Church - the St Yeghiche Church in Cranley Gardens, Kensington SW7, are maintained by the ACCC, wholly by
donations received from the community. The annual costs including stipends for clergymen amounts to about £40,000. Annual Contributions by members of the Community amount
to about £15,000.
YOUR CHURCH NEEDS ANOTHER
£25,000
per year just to break even.
Would all those who wish to make a donation to the Church
please post your cheques to:
ACCC Church Committee
c/o Mrs Tamara Stephan,
10 Beacon Way,
Rickmansworth, WD3 7PG
Please make cheque payable to
"ACCC Church Committee".
The Committee Treasurer will issue a receipt and In the case of funerals,will notify the next of
kin of the deceased, the names and addresses of all who make donations in memoriam and in lieu of flowers. |
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Statement by the Armenian Community
& Church Council of Great Britain
The Armenian Community & Church Council of Great Britain (ACCC) has followed
with deep concern the developments which have on the 10th of October 2009 culminated in the signing of the Protocols for the establishment of Diplomatic
relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey.
The ACCC respects the absolute right of the
Government of Armenia, as a Sovereign State, to enter into Agreements which they consider would benefit in one way or another the State and population of the Republic of
Armenia and we hope and pray that Agreements between Armenia and Turkey, as with all other States, result in the establishment of good neighbourly and Diplomatic
relations, peaceful co-existence, and the improvement of the economic status of Armenia and its population.
The ACCC unreservedly
reaffirms its support of the Independent Republic of Armenia, and would under all circumstances do all within its abilities to make certain that Armenia flourishes as an
independent State and maintains a position in the World as a respected, honourable and peaceful State, enjoying good neighbourly relations with all its neighbours.
However, the ACCC wishes to express its strong reservations at the wisdom of entering into the Agreements defined by the Protocols as it considers that there are certain
provisions within them which would be detrimental to the interests of the Armenian Nation.
The Agreements involve the concession of historical
Armenian heritage, human and legal rights, and the recognition of - and reparation for - the crime of Genocide committed against Armenians in Ottoman Turkey between
1915 and 1921 by introducing an element of doubt to the veracity of the Genocide.
We therefore sincerely hope that the Government and National Assembly of the
Republic of Armenia will take into consideration the serious concerns expressed by communities and organisations within Armenia as well as the Diaspora and
will act accordingly during their deliberations for the ratification of the Agreements. |
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This website will endeavour to provide general information of interest to the Armenian Community of the U.K. and
news about activities of the Community's Council and it's various sub-committees. There are additionally, dedicated sections for the Armenian Church, the Embassy of the Republic of
Armenia, Council's Committees, and an Events Diary where you will be able to look up all current and future events in the Community, which have been submitted to the webeditor for
publication.
Notes:
Articles in this website are generally (a) written by contributors and carry copyright unless indicated to the contrary, or (b) gleaned from
other websites of Armenian interest or supplied by contributing parties, and in these cases the producers of this website recognise the copyright of the original writer whether
appropriate mention in the article is made or not. The producers of this website wish to make it clear that under no circumstances do they claim origin or copyright of any of the
articles reprinted, and if the legitimate copyright holder of any article wishes to be mentioned or wishes for the article to be removed, their wish will be carried out at the
earliest possible opportunity after receipt of their requirement by e-mail sent to: webeditor@accc.org.uk or info@accc.org.uk
With regard to articles that appear in the allocated
web-pages, in addition to the above, it should also be noted that articles are supplied by the relevant Organisation or Committee, and the ACCC of GB does not assume responsibility
for their contents.
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IN MEMORIAM
SOUREN SAROUKHANOFF It is with great sorrow that we heard the tragic news of the sudden passing away of Souren
Saroukhanoff on Saturday 14th of August 2010 whilst he was in France on holiday with his wife Ovsig.Souren was a highly respected and eminent
member of the British Armenian community. He was elected to serve as a member of the Armenian Community & Church Council of Great Britain in
2002 and he was elected by the Council to chair the Councils Executive Committee. As chairman of the Executive Committee of the ACCC Souren worked
with full dedication in service to the community and the Church and he and Ovsig were highly active in community life. In October 2009 Souren was the happiest man in
the world as he gave away his daughter Huby in marriage to George Yaghoubian and we would like to extend our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to Ovsig, Huby and George for their
tragic loss. We will all miss Souren. May he rest in Peace. Funeral arrangements: Funeral will take place at
10.30am on Friday 27th August 2010 at St. Yeghiche Church, Cranley Gardens, South Kensington, London SW7. Interment at 12pm at Gunnersbury Cemetery, Chiswick W4.
Condolences at 1pm at Ramada Hotel, Ealing Common W5 The family requests donations in lieu of flowers to be made to: ACCC Church Committee (PO Box 46207, London W5 1XX) OR Navasartian Charity Trust (223 Northfield Avenue, London W13 9QU) |
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The Primate's Office: We are
happy to inform our readers that our Primate, the Very Revd Dr. Vahan Hovhanessian will start his office hours in the Hye Doon (Armenian House) beginning on Thursday, 5 August.
The office hours during the months of August and September will be Thursdays, 1:00-4:00pm and Fridays, 10:00am-1:00pm. Fr. Vahan will be in the office to receive the
faithful by appointments. The office will be in charge of organizing the Primate's calendar, and coordinating the various programs launched by the diocese under the direct supervision
of the Primate. The faithful can contact the Primate's Office to setup appointments with the Primate or leave messages for him using the following contact information: Tel 020
8127 8364, or fax 087 2111 4458.
Fr. Vahan will be checking his messages on daily basis. The e-mail address of the director of the Primate's Office is:
primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk.
Official correspondence can be mailed to:
The Primate's Office,
25 Cheniston Gardens,
Kensington,
London W8 6TG.
PLEASE NOTE: Church sacraments and hogehangists will continue to be coordinated as is now through the local church offices or representatives of the churches and NOT
the Primate's office |
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 CONGRATULATIONS
Stephen Pound MP
re-elected as Member of Parliament for Ealing North.
Mr Pound has been a great friend of the British Armenian Community and has visited Armenia and Karabagh.
He has on numerous occasion called for recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Parliament and was present and
spoke at the Genocide Memorial March on April 24 this year. Congratulatulations to Mr Pound and we wish him every success in the future
Mr Pound won with a majority of almost 10,000 over his Conservative rival. The ACCC would like to also congratulate
the members of the CRAG and the ANC Committees for the immense campaign they carried out within the 10,000-strong
British Armenians living in Borough of Ealing on behalf of Mr Pound and Ara Iskandarian.
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 CONGRATULATIONS
Ara Iskandarian
elected to the COUNCIL of the LONDON BOROUGH OF EALING.
Ara is an energetic young historian from SOAS - University of London, who has been actively involved in the community
with particular focus on recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Ara participated in CRAG programs particularly in academic
aspects. Last year Ara presented a Paper on the Armenian Genocide at the 1st Global Conference on Prevention of
Genocide at Sheffield University organised by International Association of Genocide Scholars. A few years ago Ara spoke
at an Event organised by CRAG at the House of Commons sponsored by Stephen Pound MP, where Linda Mervin spoke
about the Genocide in Rwanda. That day it became clear that Ara was a genuine individual with bright future.
Congratulations Ara, Well Done!
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LONDON ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
COMMEMORATES 95th ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 
Over the course of ten days leading to the weekend of 24th/25th April, numerous commemorative events took place starting with the Dedication of anm
Apricot Tree in Ealing in Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide. The Commemorative events included a Vigil outside the Turkish Embassy on the evening of Friday 23rd April.
Primate Vahan Hovhanessian leading the march accompanied by Parliamentary candidates, Stephen Pound and Bassam Mahfouz
On the 24th a Remembrance March was held in the London West End. The March, which was very well attended by over 1500 marchers, commenced at
Bayswater, and proceeded past the Marble Arch, Park Lane, Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and ended at the Cenotaph on Whitehall.
The procession was led by the the Primate of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom, the Right Reverend Vahan Hovhanessian and members of the
Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain and staff of the Armenian Embassy.
Prior to the start of the procession, the marchers were addressed by Mr Stephen Pound (MP) and Labour candidate for re-election to Parliament and by Mr
Bassam Mahfouz also a Labour Candidate for election to Parliament. Both gentlemen joined the march for a brief period before departing to carry on their
election campaigns. The Armenian community is grateful to Mr Pound and to Mr Mahfouz for attending at such a busy time immediately prior to the
Parliamentary elections. Also present was Ara Iskenderian who is standing for election as a Labour Councillor in the Borough of Ealing.
At the Cenotaph the Armenian Ambassador also joined the procession and a brief Remembrance Ceremony took place and wreaths were laid by
the Rt Rev Vahan Hovhanessian, the Armenian Ambassador, Dr Vahe Gabrielyan and the Chairman of the Armenian Community and Church Council, Mr Ara Palamoudian.
After the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph, a Petition was presented for the Prime Minister at No.10 Downing Stree.
On the evening of Saturday 24th April, a Hokehankist Service was held
at St Sarkis Church in front on the the Memorial for the Victims of the Genocide which is situated in the grounds of the church.
On Sunday 25th April, a Requiem Mass was served at the St Yeghiche
Church followed by Hokehankist at the Khatchkar outside the church in memory of the Genocide, and on the same evening a Commemorative evening was held, organised by the ACCC's Commemoration Committee,
which comprised a concert and messages by the Armenian Ambassador, the Primate, CRAG and the Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain.
DEDICATION OF APRICOT TREE
AS MONUMENT IN LONDON
IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE
1.5 MILLION VICTIMS OF
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
An Apricot Tree (Prunus Armeniaca) was dedicated as the first public monument in England in memory of the 1.5 Million
Victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The dedication took place in the London Borough of Ealing on Saturday 17th of
April, 2010, in a prominent position in a green along the Ealing High Street.
The Dedication Ceremony was conducted by the Primate of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom, the Very Rev. Vahan
Hovhanessian and a message was delivered on behalf of the British Armenian community by Mr Ara H Palamoudian, Chairman
of the Armenian Community & Church Council of Great Britain. Also present was a member of the Armenian Embassy representing the Ambassador, Dr Vahe Gabrielyan.
In his speech, Mr Palamoudian thanked the Council of the London Borough of Ealing and said "This tree is a monument against
Genocide, so that Genocide is never forgotten and therefore never happens again. No matter against whom perpetrated – be they Jews, Tootsies, Ruandans or Armenians".
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ EXTRACTS FROM THE MESSAGE
Primate of the Armenian Church
of Great Britain
The Very Rev. Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian
The newly appointed Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain, the Very Reverend Vahan Hovhanessian served Easter Mass on Sunday 4th of
April at the Community's St Yeghiche Armenian Church in South Kensington.
In his sermon the Primate gave his blessings to the congregation and urged everyone to have closer links with the church and to attend regularly. He
especially urged the younger generation to have greater interest in the church and invited them to attend Bible study evenings which he will be initiating
very soon and to take part in church services.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ
THE PRIMATE'S EASTER MESSAGE
Other announcements regarding Bible study evenings, home blessing etc can be found in the Church Page of this website - PLEASE CLICK HERE.
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 Barak Obama
In 2008, during his Presidential Campaign,
said:
"the Armenian genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence"
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On April 24 2009 - the day that all Armenians commemorate the Genocide of the 1.5 Million Armenians in Turkey in 1915, and stand demanding World
Recognition and Condemnation and an Apology from Turkey, President Barak Obama said:
"
I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed" - - - " Today, I stand with them (American
Armenians) and with Armenians everywhere with a sense of friendship, solidarity, and deep respect."
The Armenian people are confident that this honourable President who has so forthrightly affirmed that his own view that what happened in 1915 was Genocide - (which) "
is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence " -
has not changed; and he will stand by his election promise, and will exercise his authority as President and "standing in solidarity with Armenians everywhere"
- will reflect his convictions about the undeniability of the Genocide of the Armenians in Turkey, in the Foreign Policy of his Government. OPEN LETTER TO TURKISH AND ARMENIAN LEADERS On Oct. 8, William Schabas, the president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), addressed an open letter to Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, in which he said: "Acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide must be the starting point
of any 'impartial historical commission,' not one of its possible conclusions."
Below is the full text of the letter, acquired by the Armenian Weekly.
***
Dear Prime Minister Erdogan and President Sarkisian,
The proposed protocols between Armenia and Turkey call for an "impartial historical commission" to investigate what the world knows as the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
As the leading scholarly organization engaged in the study of genocide, we welcome continued investigation that will
enhance our understanding of the 1915 massacres. However, we are extremely wary of any call for allegedly impartial research into what are clearly established historical facts.
Acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide must be the starting point of any "impartial historical commission," not one of its possible conclusions.
The world would not accept an inquiry into the truth of the Nazi Holocaust, or the extermination of the Tutsi in Rwanda, and nor can it do so with the genocide of the Armenians.
William Schabas,
President, International Association of Genocide Scholars |
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